F 


ON  THE 


MEMORIAL  ADDRESSES 


LIFE  AND  CHARACTER 


OF 


ASHLEY  B,  WRIGHT 

(LATE  A  REPRESENTATIVE  FROM  MASSACHUSETTS), 


DELIVERED   IN   THE 


HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  AND  SENATE, 


FIFTY-FIFTH    CONGRESS, 

SECOND  SESSION. 


WASHINGTON : 

GOVERNMENT     PRINTING     OFFICE. 
1898. 


,  -    *      J   *     * 


(JU* 


\l 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Proceedings  in  the  House 5 

Memorial  address  by — 

Mr.  KNOX 8 

Mr.  LAWRENCE 1 1 

Mr.  WALKER 15 

Mr.  POWERS 16 

Mr.  SWANSON 20 

Mr.  NORTHWAY 22 

Mr.  McCALi, , 26 

Mr.  GH.I/TT. 28 

Proceedings  in  the  Senate 31 

Memorial  address  by — 

Mr.  HOAR 33 

Mr.  MORGAN 38 

Mr.  HAWLEY 43 

Mr.  LODGE 44 


442314 


DEATH  OF  ASHLEY  B,  WRIGHT, 


PROCEEDINGS  IN  THE  HOUSE. 

DECEMBER  6,  1897. 

Mr.  LAWRENCE.  Mr.  Speaker,  the  House  has  already  heard, 
by  public  report,  of  the  death,  at  his  home  in  North  Adams,  on 
August  14,  of  the  late  ASHLEY  B.  WRIGHT,  Representative  in 
this  bod}-  of  the  First  Massachusetts  district.  In  .accordance 
with  an  honored  custom  of  this  House,  I  will  at  a  later  time 
ask  that  an  hour  be  set  aside  for  paying  heartfelt  and  well- 
deserved  tributes  to  his  memory. 

At  this  time,  as  the  Representative  of  the  people  whom  he 
has  so  long  served  upon  this  floor,  and  as  an  expression  of  the 
feeling  of  us  all,  I  will  ask  the  adoption  of  the  resolutions  to  be 
offered  by  the  gentleman  from  Mississippi  [Mr.  Allen] . 

At  the  present  time  I  will  ask  the  adoption  of  the  resolutions 
which  I  now  send  to  the  desk. 

The  Clerk  read  as  follows: 

Resolved,  That  the  House  has  heard  with  profound  sorrow  of 
the  death  of  the  Hon.  ASHLEY  B.  WRIGHT,  a  member  of  this 
House  from  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  and  of  the  death  of  the 
Hon.  JAMES  Z.  GEORGE,  a  Senator  of  the  United  States  from 
the  State  of  Mississippi. 

5 


Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright. 

Resolved,  That  as  a  further  mark  of  respect  to  the  memory  of 
the  late  Representative  WRIGHT  and  the  late  Senator  GEORGE 
the  House  do  now  adjourn. 

Ordered,  That  the  Clerk  communicate  the  resolutions  to  the 
Senate. 

The  resolutions  were  unanimously  agreed  to;  and  accordingly 
(at  3  o'clock  and  5  minutes  p.  m.)  the  House  adjourned. 


JANUARY  8,  1898. 

Mr.  Lawrence,  by  unanimous  consent,  submitted  the  follow- 
ing resolution;  which  was  read,  considered,  and  agreed  to: 

Resolved,  That  Saturday,  January  8,  1898,  be  set  apart  for 
paying  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  Hon.  ASHLEY  B.  WRIGHT, 
late  a  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  from  the  State 
of  Massachusetts. 


EULOGIES  ON  HON.  ASHLEY  B.  WRIGHT. 

Mr.  L,AWRENCE.   Mr.  Speaker,  I  desire  to  submit  the  resolu- 
tions which  I  send  to  the  Clerk's  desk. 
The  resolutions  were  read,  as  follows: 

Resolved,  That  the  House  has  heard  with  profound  sorrow 
the  announcement  of  the  death  of  Hon.  ASHLEY  B.  WRIGHT, 
late  a  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  from  the  State 
of  Massachusetts. 

Resolved,  That  the  business  of  the  House  be  now  suspended, 
that  opportunity  may  be  given  for  fitting  tributes  to  his  memory. 

Resolved,  That  as  an  additional  mark  of  respect  the  House, 
at  the  conclusion  of  these  memorial  proceedings,  do  adjourn. 

Resolved,  That  the  Clerk  communicate  these  resolutions  to 
the  Senate  and  transmit  a  copy  of  the  same  to  the  family  of  the 
deceased. 

The  resolutions  were  agreed  to. 


Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright. 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  KNOX. 

Mr.  KNOX.  Mr.  Speaker,  I  can  not  forbear  to  add  a  word  to 
what  has  been  already  so  well  said  in  reference  to  the  life  and 
character  of  our  deceased  colleague.  Living  at  the  same  hotel 
with  him  the  first  winter  I  spent  in  Washington,  I  was  the 
recipient  of  many  acts  of  kindness  at  his  hands,  and  there  grew 
up  between  us  a  personal  friendship  which  lasted  while  his  life 
endured.  Brief  as  was  the  existence  of  this  friendship,  it  was 
sufficient  for  a  thorough  understanding  and  appreciation  of  the 
man. 

No  one  could  make  any  mistake  as  to  the  manner  of  man  he 
was.  What  he  was,  what  he  could  and  could  not  do,  was  an 
open  book.  When  such  a  man  dies,  the  language  of  eulogy  has 
very  little  office.  His  life  has  told  its  own  story.  His  acts  and 
purposes  are  plain,  and  at  his  death  his  epitaph  is  already  made 
up.  There  is  really  nothing  to  be  said.  But  the  purpose  of 
the  ancient  custom  in  accordance  with  which  we  are  acting 
to-day  must  largely  be  to  place  upon  the  record  something 
which  strangers  may  peruse,  and  gain  profit  and  guidance 
therefrom. 

ASHLEY  B.  WRIGHT  was  an  unassuming,  true  man,  with 
practical,  sound,  and  broad  attributes  of  mind  that  well  fitted 
him  to  be  a  public  servant.  He  was  so  fair  and  candid  that 
if  he  could  have  his  way  here  to-day  nothing  would  be  said 
of  him  by  another  that  could  not  be  justly  and  appropriately 
said,  and  my  few  words  shall  be  spoken  as  if  under  his 
admonition.  His  chief  characteristic,  perhaps,  was  an  ever- 
present  desire,  if  not  anxiety,  to  discharge  fully  and  fitly  every 
obligation  which  he  assumed  or  which  was  laid  upon  him. 


Address  of  Mr.  Knox  of  Massachtisetts.  9 

He  was  constant  in  his  attendance  upon  the  sessions  of  the 
House.  He  was  patient  and  laborious  in  the  investigation  of 
subjects  of  legislation. 

He  was  no  easy-going  and  careless  legislator  who  accepted  the 
conclusions  of  others  and  blindly  followed  them.  He  thought 
for  himself,  and  acted  with  a  keen  appreciation  of  the  responsi- 
bility which  he  owed  to  his  country  and  to  his  constituents. 
He  was  a  well-poised  man,  physically  as  well  as  mentally,  not 
to  be  carried  away  by  excitement  or  driven  to  hasty  conclu- 
sions. Now,  these  qualities  which  made  him  valuable  in  the 
councils  of  the  nation  had  been  previously  exhibited  by  him  in 
the  service  of  the  Commonwealth  from  which  he  came,  and 
the}7  had  given  him  an  assured  position  in  the  esteem  and  con- 
fidence of  the  people. 

Personally  he  was  a  most  genial  and  approachable  man,  with 
an  equable  temperament  that  was  seldom  ruffled.  He  was  free 
from  envy,  and  rejoiced  in  the  success  of  his  colleagues.  His 
ambition  was  to  win  and  hold  the  confidence  and  the  approval  of 
his  constituents.  His  popularity  at  home  had  grown  from  the 
commencement  of  his  political  career,  and  each  reelection  to 
Congress  had  been  with  an  increased  majority.  At  the  time  of 
his  death  it  seemed  that  a  long  career  of  public  usefulness  lay 
before  him.  Such  was  the  man  who  a  few  brief  months  ago 
was  a  member  of  this  body.  Such  \vas  the  man  whom  the 
Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  and  the  country  have  lost. 
Such  was  the  friend  from  whom  we,  his  colleagues,  have  parted 
forever. 

Others  have  left  a  more  distinctive  mark  upon  the  record  of 
this  body,  others  have  enjoyed  a  larger  fame,  but  whatever  his 
hand  found  to  do,  he  did  it  faithfully  and  well;  and  there  are 
few  who  have  gone  who  have  left  behind  them  memories  more 
tender  and  true.  There  are  others  who  have  had  greater  power 


io  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright. 

to  impress  their  convictions  upon  their  fellows,  but  there  are 
few  whose  advice  in  times  of  perplexity  and  doubt  was  more 
calm  and  dispassionate  than  his.  There  are  very  many  others 
who  have  left  perhaps  a  more  enduring  reputation,  but  in  the 
hearts  of  those  who  knew  our  friend  best  there  will  be  a  vacancy 
only  to  be  occupied  when  in  the  silent  moment  there  comes  a 
gracious  memory  of  his  pure  life,  his  noble  manhood,  his  faith- 
ful service,  his  lovable  personality,  and  his  gentle  ways. 

When  he  left  at  the  close  of  the  extra  session,  he  had  no 
thought  but  of  a  joyous  vacation  amid  the  delights  of  his  home, 
surrounded  by  the  glories  which  autumn  brings  in  western 
Massachusetts;  but  if  he  could  have  known  the  fate  that  was 
in  store  for  him,  there  were  few  things  in  his  past  life  which 
would  have  caused  him  regret.  He  was  exceptionally  blest 
in  the  manner  of  his  death.  It  came  without  warning,  without 
pain  or  suffering,  with  no  sorrowful  partings  from  loved  ones. 
He  passed  in  an  instant  beyond  the  parting  and  the  meeting, 
and  sleeps  amid  the  hills  of  Berkshire  that  he  loved  so  well,  by 
the  side  of  an  honored  ancestry  who  had  gone  before,  and  who, 
like  him,  in  their  day  had  exemplified  the  things  that  are 
worthy  and  admirable  in  the  life  of  man. 


Address  of  Mr.  Lawrence  of  Massachusetts.          n 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  LAWRENCE. 

Mr.  LAWRENCE.  Mr.  Speaker,  on  the  evening  of  Saturday, 
August  14,  1897,  the  people  whom  I  now  have  the  honor  to 
represent  were  shocked  and  saddened  by  the  announcement  that 
ASHLEY  B.  WRIGHT,  their  honored  Representative  in  Congress, 
had  passed  away.  Death  had  come  suddenly,  the  result  of  an 
apoplectic  shock.  Without  an  instant's  warning  a  strong  man 
had  fallen,  a  life  of  rare  usefulness  was  ended. 

It  is  hard  to  understand  why  such  a  man  should  have  been 
taken  away.  Beloved  in  his  home,  relied  upon  by  his  business 
associates,  trusted  and  honored  by  the  people  among  whom  he 
lived,  he  could  have  looked  forward  to  many  years  of  happiness 
and  effective  service. 

When  a  man  dies  at  his  post,  in  the  midst  of  a  useful  career 
as  a  member  of  this  House,  it  is  fitting  that  business  should  be 
suspended  in  order  that  his  brother  members  may  have  an 
opportunity  to  pay  affectionate  and  sincere  tributes  to  his  mem- 
ory. The  plain,  unassuming,  earnest  man  whom  we  honor 
to-day  is  worthy  of  this  mark  of  respect.  A  kind  neighbor,  a 
devoted  husband,  an  honest  public  servant  has  gone,  but  he  will 
live  in  the  memory  of  the  people  of  his  beloved  Commonwealth, 
for  as  a  public  man  his  obligations  had  been  conscientiously 
performed,  and  his  whole  life  had  been  characterized  by  service 
for  his  fellow-men. 

ASHLEY  BASCOM  WRIGHT  was  born  in  Hinsdale,  Mass., 
among  the  Berkshire  Hills,  on  May  25,  1841.  He  was  of  New 
England  stock.  His  father  was  an  early  Free  Soiler,  one  of 
the  pioneer  Republicans  of  Massachusetts;  a  man  of  sterling 
integrity,  who  held  to  the  day  of  his  death  the  respect  of  the 


12  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright, 

entire  community  in  which  he  lived.  His  mother  was  a  gra- 
cious, conscientious  woman  of  true  New  England  type.  Theirs 
was  a  happy  Christian  home,  and  its  uplifting  and  inspiring 
influence  was  a  controlling  factor  in  the  life  of  our  friend. 

Mr.  WRIGHT  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Hinsdale 
and  at  Lincoln  Academy.  Upon  completing  the  course  at  the 
latter  place  he  secured  a  position  in  a  mercantile  establishment 
in  his  native  town.  He  was  preeminently  a  business  man,  and 
until  his  election  to  Congress  was  actively  engaged  in  mercan- 
tile pursuits.  His  business  career  was  marked  by  honesty  and 
thoroughness,  the  same  principles  which  governed  his  public 
life.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  a  director  of  the  Adams 
National  Bank  of  North  Adams  and  a  member  of  the  board  of 
investment  of  the  North  Adams  Savings  Bank,  to  both  of  which 
institutions  his  services  were  of  great  value. 

In  1862  Mr.  WRIGHT  went  to  North  Adams,  Mass.,  to  accept 
a  position  as  chief  deputy  in  the  internal-revenue  office,  and 
from  that  time  until  his  death  was  thoroughly  identified  with 
the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  that  thriving  city.  Mr.  WRIGHT 
was  a  modest,  practical,  able  man — a  trained  man  of  affairs,  sys- 
tematic and  conscientious  in  the  performance  of  his  duties  to  a 
remarkable  degree.  A  successful  business  man,  he  never  shirked 
the  responsibilities  of  citizenship.  Dr.  Munger  once  said,  ' '  Ex- 
clusive devotion  to  the  home  makes  one  weak;  to  business,  sel- 
fish. A  hearty  and  practical  interest  in  the  State  alone  can  make 
one  strong  and  large."  Eor  thirty-five  years  he  was  almost 
constantly  employed  in  some  department  of  public  service.  He 
was  called  by  the  people  from  one  position  to  another,  his  influ- 
ence becoming  constantly  greater,  his  ability  keeping  step  with 
his  opportunity. 

His  administration  of  the  official  positions  to  which  he  was 
chosen  at  his  home  was  characterized  by  integrity,  careful 


Address  of  Mr.  Lawrence  of  Massachusetts.          13 

attention  to  detail,  thoroughness,  sound  judgment,  and  com- 
mon sense.  He  was  always  a  wise  and  conservative  leader  and 
a  safe  counselor.  In  1884  he  was  elected  county  commissioner, 
in  which  position  he  served  for  three  years.  In  1888  he  became 
a  member  of  the  executive  council  of  Massachusetts,  and  was 
reelected  to  that  position  in  1889.  In  1892  he  was  elected  from 
the  First  Massachusetts  district  a  member  of  the  Fifty-third 
Congress,  and  was  reelected  to  the  Fifty-fourth  and  Fifty-fifth 
Congresses.  He  was  serving  his  third  term  in  this  body  at  the 
time  of  his  death. 

I  do  not  propose  to  speak  of  his  services  as  a  member  of  this 
House;  that  I  shall  leave  to  those  who  are  to  follow  me.  He 
was  not  a  debater"  or  a  parliamentarian,  but  I  am  sure  that  those 
who  served  with  him  here  will  bear  witness  to  the  fact  that  his 
ripened  judgment  and  experience,  his  business  capacity,  and  his 
sound  common  sense  were  of  material  assistance  in  carrying  on 
the  work  of  this  House — that  his  influence  was  on  the  right 
side.  That  he  had  a  place  in  the  hearts  of  his  associates  here, 
I  have  reason  to  know.  Many  members  have  spoken  to  me  of 
him  not  alone  with  hearty  praise  for  his  public  work,  but  with 
affectionate  expression  of  their  own  sense  of  personal  loss. 
Especially  touching  have  been  the  words  of  quick  and  tender 
sympathy  for  the  sorrowing  wife.  May  God  comfort  her  in 
this  great  bereavement. 

Mr.  WRIGHT  was  a  Republican  by  inheritance  and  convic- 
tion; he  never  faltered  in  the  faith,  but  he  was  not  a  bitter 
partisan.  He  had  the  judicial  temperament  in  a  high  degree 
and  always  treated  respectfully  the  views  of  those  from  whom 
he  differed.  His  political  successes  were  not  always  easy  ones. 
Some  of  his  battles  were  unusually  close  and  earnestly  contested, 
but  he  was  always  cool  and  kept  his  head.  He  kept  personali- 
ties out  of  his  campaigns,  and  never  sought  to  advance  his  own 


14  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright. 

cause  b}T  heaping  abuse  upon  an  opponent.  It  was  my  fortune 
to  be  in  close  touch  with  him  in  some  of  his  campaigns,  and  it 
is  gratifying  to  be  able  to  say  that  I  never  heard  him,  even  in 
private  conversation,  speak  ill  of  a  political  opponent. 

I  was  with  him  on  Thursday  before  he  died.  We  drove  to 
Bennington,  Vt. ,  with  a  party  of  gentlemen  with  whom  we  had 
been  associated  in  public  work.  Never  had  I  seen  Mr.  WRIGHT 
in  better  spirits  or  apparently  in  better  health.  He  was  bright, 
companionable,  full  of  courage  and  hope.  It  was  a  happy  day — 
one  long  to  be  remembered.  Little  did  I  think  as  I  said  good- 
bye to  him  that  evening  that  it  was  a  last  good-by.  It  was 
the  last  time  I  ever  saw  him.  On  Saturday  he  died,  sincerely 
mourned  by  the  people  who  had  .so  long  known  and  honored 
him.  The  funeral  services  were  simple,  as  he  would  have  had 
them,  and  loving  hands  laid  him  to  rest  in  the  beautiful 
Berkshire  land  he  loved  so  well.  His  work  here  is  finished. 
The  record  is  made.  I  have  not  spoken  of  him  with  fulsome 
eulogy.  You  who  knew  him  know  that  he  was  the  last  one 
who  would  have  wished  that.  I  have  tried  to  pay  a  just 
tribute  to  worth  and  fidelity.  ASHLEY  B.  WRIGHT  will  not 
be  forgotten.  In  the  years  that  are  to  come  his  memory  will 
be  sacredly  cherished. 


Address  of  Mr.  Walker  of  Massachusetts.  15 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  WALKER  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Mr.  WALKER  of  Massachusetts.  Mr.  Speaker,  I  shall  add  but 
a  single  word  to  the  very  just,  to  the  very  able  and  eloquent 
speech  of  the  honorable  gentleman  who  has  just  taken  his  seat, 
as  a  tribute  to  the  memory  of  our  late  colleague,  whose  eulogies 
we  pronounce  to-day. 

Mr.  WRIGHT  was  a  typical  Massachusetts  business  man,  a 
class  of  men  exceedingly  valuable  in  the  halls  of  legislation, 
thoroughly  appreciative  of  the  relation  of  facts  to  each  other, 
a  man  who  could  be  relied  upon  to  come  to  a  sound  conclusion 
on  all  questions  that  came  up  in  the  House.  He  was  always 
present  at  the  meetings  of  his  committee,  where  his  services 
were  exceptionally  valuable.  While  his  voice  was  seldom 
heard  in  debate,  his  influence  for  good  was  far  greater  than 
that  of  many  exceptionally  able  speakers.  His  service  in  this 
House  was  creditable  to  himself  and  to  Massachusetts,  and  his 
death  is  felt  as  a  personal  bereavement  by  each  member  of  the 
delegation. 


1 6  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright. 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  POWERS. 

Mr.  POWERS.  Mr.  Speaker,  ASHLEY  B.  WRIGHT  first  came 
here,  as  the  Representative  of  the  First  Massachusetts  district, 
at  the  extra  session  in  August,  1893.  From  that  time  till  the 
close  of  the  session  last  July  I  lived  at  the  same  hotel  and  sat, 
most  of  the  time,  at  the  same  table  with  him. 

With  such  opportunities  to  know  him,  it  is  not  surprising 
that  our  companionship  ripened  into  a  close,  mutual  friendship, 
for  he  was  a  man  whom  to  know  was  to  love. 

His  public  career  in  Congress  was  marked  by  the  faithful  and 
diligent  work  he  did  for  his  constituents.  No  call  was  too 
insignificant  to  receive  his  watchful  attention.  Indeed,  I  doubt 
if  there  be  another  member  on  this  floor  who  gave  more  hours 
to  the  special  work  of  his  constituents  than  he  did. 

He  did  not  take  an  active  part  in  public  debate,  though  on 
occasions  he  could  express  his  views  publicly  in  a  clear  and  for- 
cible way.  His  natural  modesty  and  retiring  disposition  led  him 
rather  to  the  field  of  meditation  than  to  the  forum  of  discussion. 
He  was  an  excellent  listener,  and  was  seldom  out  of  his  seat 
when  questions  of  public  concern  were  under  consideration. 

In  the  committee  room  he  was  a  close  student  of  questions 
presented,  and  brought  to  their  solution  a  fair  and  judicial  con- 
sideration. Educated  largely  as  a  business  man,  he  examined 
these  questions  with  a  business  eye.  Good,  sound  judgment 
was  the  notable  characteristic  of  his  mind.  As  L,amartine  said 
of  Mirabeau,  "His  genius  was  the  infallibility  of  good  sense." 
In  his  relations  here  with  his  fellow-members  he  was  a  genial, 
jovial,  and  welcome  associate,  respected  by  all  and  envied  by 
none. 


Address  of  Mr,  Powers  of  Vermont.  17 

But  the  man  was  best  seen  and  most  admired  in  the  closer 
relations  of  the  social  circle — in  the  after-dinner  chats  and  in 
the  unrestrained  freedom  of  his  room,  where  no  arbitrary  rules 
of  procedure  nor  conventional  restraints  barred  approach  to 
that  flow  of  exuberant  spirits  and  that  fund  of  rich  anecdote 
for  which  .he  was  specially  noted  among  his  friends.  He  had  a 
keen  wit  and  displayed  an  inexhaustible  fund  of  humor,  and 
every  hour  spent  with  him  in  these  informal  gatherings  was  a 
benediction. 

He  was  absolutely  unselfish.     He  was  always  thoughtful  of 
others  and  ever  doing  something  to  promote  their  happiness. 
.  His  characteristics  were  what  Wordsworth  calls: 

That  best  portion  of  a  good  man's  life — 
His  little,  nameless,  unremembered  acts 
Of  kindness  and  of  love. 

But  better  than  all  was  Mr.  WRIGHT'S  home  life,  where  he 
was  not  merely  the  head,  but,  in  an  especial  sense,  the  idol  of 
his  household.  Happily  married,  his  home  was  the  abiding 
place  of  mutual  trust  and  confidence  and  the  scene  of  unre- 
strained joy.  Buckle  tells  us  that  the  characteristics  of  men 
are  fashioned  and  shaped  largely  by  the  aspects  of  nature  which 
environ  them.  If  this  be  true,  who  will  deny  that  the  grandeur 
and  beauty  of  those  far-famed  Berkshire  Hills,  celebrated  in 
song  and  story,  upon  which  his  eye  feasted  nearly  all  his  life, 
contributed  to  that  love  of  nature,  that  equable  temper  of  mind, 
that  profound  spirit  of  veneration,  and  that  love  of  the  beautiful 
in  nature  and  in  art  for  which  he  was  noted. 

He  looked  through  nature  up  to  nature's  God,  and  became  a 
sincere  and  devoted  Christian  in  a  broad  and  catholic  sense. 
Identified  with  a  church  in  his  home  city,  he  was  never  a  sec- 
tarian. He  looked  out  from  the  narrow  vision  of  sect  upon  the 
wide  sea  of  humanity  and  saw  in  every  man  a  brother,  whose 
H.  Doc.  464 2 


1 8  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright. 

foibles  or  failings  he  might  dislike  and  attempt  to  correct,  but 
he  never  assumed  to  sit  in  judgment  and  denounce  penalties 
upon  his  fellows  who  differed  with  him  in  opinion  or  stubbornly 
adhered  to  the  dogmas  of  an  erroneous  creed.  Because  of  the 
broad  charity  of  his  heart  he  could  say  with  Miller: 

In  men,  whom  men  condemn  as  ill, 

I  find  so  much  of  goodness  still ; 

In  men,  whom  men  pronounce  divine. 

I  find  so  much  of  sin  and  blot, 

I  hesitate  to  draw  the  line 

Between  the  two,  when  God  has  not. 

In  his  home  city  he  was  the  friend  of  that  most  numerous 
element  of  our  population,  the  plain  people;  that  element  that 
President  Lincoln  always  relied  upon  in  his  official  life;  that 
element  that  directs,  if  it  does  not  originate,  public  opinion  and 
ultimately  determines  the  public  policy  of  our  Government. 

Being  their  friend  and  holding  their  confidence,  it  is  not  sur- 
prising that  he  was  selected  as  the  only  available  man  of  his 
party  to  wrest  his  district  from  the  control  of  his  political  oppo- 
nents, as  he  successfully  did  at  his  first  election  to  Congress; 
and  being  their  friend  and  holding  their  confidence,  it  did  not 
surprise  me  at  his  funeral  to  witness  an  unusual  exhibition  of 
grief  as  these  people  gazed  for  the  last  time  upon  that  face  that 
had  so  often  beamed  with  delight  whenever  he  could  do  them 
some  kind  deed  or  give  them  some  wise  counsel.  But  their 
friend  and  my  friend  has  gone.  On  the  i4th  of  August  last, 
just  as  the  curtains  of  evening  were  drawn  over  those  moun- 
tains he  loved  so  well  and  which  so  aptly  typified  the  loft}7 
grandeur  of  his  manhood  and  the  immovable  solidity  of  his 
character,  with  no  note  of  warning — in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye — the  grim  monster  stealthily  entered  his  happy  home,  and 
snatching  his  spirit  bore  it  away  to  the  God  he  worshiped  and 
adored.  We  can  not  fathom  the  purposes  of  the  Almighty, 


Address  of  Mr.  Powers  of  Vermont.  19 

and  it  is  well  that  it  is  so.  But  in  that  sublime  Christian  faith 
which  our  friend  possessed  we  can  divine  some  great  good  to 
him  that  he  was  called  to  enjoy,  and  some  great  good  to  us  who 
mourn  his  loss,  that  we  will  some  time  share. 

My  humble  tribute  to  his  memory  finds  its  source  in  a  sad 
heart  that  is  swollen  with  grief  at  his  untimely  demise.  Others 
will  speak  of  his  virtues  and  his  career  from  a  less  partial  stand- 
point, but  all  who  knew  him  honored  and  respected  him. 

Honored  citizen,  faithful  public  servant,  honest  man,  trusted 
friend,  pass  on.  The  gates  of  history  are  wide  ajar  to  receive 
thee,  and  should  some  jealous  sentinel  on  the  outposts  demand 
to  know  the  excellencies  of  thy  life  or  the  graces  of  thy  charac- 
ter, point  him  to  us,  who  to-day  will  write  them  in  letters  of 
living  light  on  the  tablets  of  an  unfading  memory. 


2O  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright. 


.ADDRESS  OF  MR.  SWANSON. 

Mr.  SWANSON.  Mr.  Speaker,  I  come  from  a  State  whose  peo- 
ple have  their  own  distinctive  traits,  their  own  past  traditions 
and  history,  their  own  ideals  and  aspirations.  Though  proud 
of  our  own  history,  though  rejoicing  in  those  qualities  of  mind 
and  heart  which  climate  and  circumstances  have  developed  in 
our  people,  yet  we  feel  an  equal  delight  in  the  glorious  history 
of  our  common  country  and  entertain  a  deep  admiration  for 
high  qualities  of  character  possessed  by  other  sections. 

So  Virginia  rejoices  in  the  proud  history  of  Massachusetts 
and  entertains  a  profound  esteem  for  the  resolute,  sterling,  per- 
severing, energetic  traits  of  character  possessed  by  the  people 
of  that  noted  Commonwealth.  The  wonderful  achievements 
and  fame  of  Massachusetts,  and,  I  might  say,  of  New  England, 
are  due  not  so  much  to  a  few  illustrious  names  adorning  the 
pages  of  her  history,  but  rather  to  the  high  qualities  of  the 
great  mass  of  her  citizens.  It  was  the  typical  New  Englander's 
passion  for  liberty  that  made  him  resist  the  British  stamp  act 
and  oppose  British  aggression.  It  was  the  stubborn  courage  of 
the  typical  New  Englander  that  met  British  force  and  wrote  in 
blood  some  of  the  brightest  pages  of  American  history. 

It  tvas  the  unconquerable  perseverance  of  the  New  Englander 
that  transferred  a  bleak  and  dreary  wilderness  into  great  and 
magnificent  Commonwealths.  It  was  their  thrift  that  has 
made  this  section  one  of  the  most  prosperous  and  wealthy  in 
the  world.  It  was  their  love  of  adventure  and  of  enterprise 
that  induced  them  to  seek,  in  the  West  and  the  Northwest, 
new  abodes,  to  build  their  States  destined  soon  to  rival  in  power 
and  greatness  New  England  herself. 

To  be  a  typical  representative  of  citizens  who  have  accom- 


Address  of  Mr.  Swanson  of  Virginia.  21 

plished  so  much  where  attainments  are  so  high  is  indeed  a 
proud  honor  and  a  high  distinction. 

Our  deceased  colleague,  Mr.  WRIGHT,  whose  loss  we  this  day 
mourn,  was  a  genuine  and  true  representative  of  this  high  order 
of  New  England  citizenship.  He  possessed  preeminently  these 
distinctive  qualities  and  virtues.  I  met  him  here  in  this  Cham- 
ber first,  and  our  acquaintance  became  more  intimate,  as  we 
lived  for  quite  awhile  at  the  same  hotel.  My  acquaintance 
with  Mr.  WRIGHT  increased  my  admiration  for  those  splendid 
elements  that  constitute  New  England  citizenship.  He  pos- 
sessed a  -mind  strong,  vigorous,  and  liberal.  He  had  a  judg- 
ment that  was  careful  and  sound.  He  was  the  very  soul  of 
honor  and  integrity.  He  had  as  kindly  a  heart  as  ever  pulsated 
in  man.  He  was  entertaining,  attractive,  and  made  a  fast,  warm 
friend.  He  was  a  man  that  one  was  glad  to  know,  that  one 
could  trust  implicitly  and  must  admire  for  his  modest,  frank, 
manly  character.  He  was  a  most  useful,  efficient,  and  capable 
Representative.  He  had  his  convictions  upon  public  questions, 
which  he  maintained  without  offense,  yet  with  firmness. 

He  was  a  strong  Republican,  but  broad-minded,  patriotic, 
and  liberal,  devoid  of  any  petty,  bitter  partisanship.  He  num- 
bered among  his  best  friends  many  on  this  side  of  the  Chamber. 
His  own  people  bestowed  upon  him  many  positions  of  honor 
and  of  trust.  He  so  faithfully  discharged  every  duty  that 
each  year  witnessed  the  bestowal  upon  him  of  higher  honors 
and  responsibilities.  His  life  was  one  of  progression.  Massa- 
chusetts loses,  in  Mr.  WRIGHT,  one  of  those  ideal  citizens  whose 
patriotism  and  deeds  have  made  illustrious  that  Commonwealth. 

Mr.  Speaker,  Humboldt  has  well  said,  "Earth  holds  up  to 
her  Maker  no  fruit  like  the  finished  man." 

Thus,  in  conclusion,  I  can  truthfully  say,  in  the  pure,  noble 
life  of  our  deceased  colleague  the  earth  has  presented  her  Maker 
with  one  of  her  best  offerings. 


22  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright. 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  NORTHWAY. 

Mr.  NORTHWAY.  Mr.  Speaker,  at  attempt  to  express  one's 
feelings  on  an  occasion  like  this  results  in  failure. 

If  one  performs  a  perfunctory  duty  his  words  are  lifeless,  and 
if  he  feels  the  keen  pangs  of  regret  at  the  death  of  the  one 
eulogized  then  they  fail  to  convey  to  the  hearer  or  reader  the 
inward  emotions  of  the  speaker.  I  perform  no  perfunctory  duty 
here  to-day,  nor  can  I  give  adequate  expression  to  those  feel- 
ings which  are  struggling  in  vain  for  suitable  words  to  convey 
them  to  my  hearers. 

Sorrow  and  deep  regret  are  among  the  bitter  experiences  of 
life,  but  they  can  not  be  portrayed  by  words,  and  it  is  probably 
well  that  it  is  so,  as  it  is  not  best  that  we  should  bear  each 
other's  pain. 

In  our  associations  with  one  another  here  in  this  body  we 
rarely  form  those  strong  feelings  of  friendship  which  charac- 
terize home  and  neighborly  associations.  Ours  is  more  of  a 
business  relation,  and  knowing  as  we  do  that  our  stay  here  is 
somewhat  limited,  and  being  slow  in  forming  new  relations 
with  others,  it  almost  necessarily  follows  that  our  eulogies  are 
a  good  deal  in  the  formal  order  and  largely  lacking  in  those 

expressions  which  arouse  the  emotional  side  of  our  natures. 

• 
I  would  not  have  my  words  formal,  and  I  may  not  make 

them  expressive,  but  my  failure  to  do  so  is  not  because  I  lack 
in  those  ties  of  warmest  friendship  which  death  can  painfully 
sunder. 

I  knew  Mr.  WRIGHT  well,  and  my  knowledge  of  him  led  to 
the  forming  of  strong  ties  of  friendship  for  him.  My  knowl- 
edge of  him  was  more  than  the  mere  acquaintance  formed  among 


Address  of  Mr.  Northway  of  Ohio.  23 

members  upon  this  floor.  We  became  acquainted  in  the  early 
days  of  the  extra  session  of  the  Fifty-third  Congress,  and  I  trust 
it  will  not  be  thought  to  show  a  lack  of  intelligence  on  his  part 
or  of  egotism  on  mine  when  I  say  that  that  acquaintance  ripened 
into  friendship,  which  continued  until  his  death,  and  which  I 
am  vainly  struggling  to  express  here  to-day. 

Mr.  WRIGHT  was  not  one  of  those  who  leave  strong  impres- 
sions at  first  acquaintance,  for  his  retiring  nature  gave  him  the 
appearance  of  coldness;  and  yet  it  was  simply  the  appearance, 
for  a  close  acquaintance  brought  him  out  in  his  true  light,  that 
of  a  gentle  and  honorable  man.  He  possessed  wonderfully 
strong  traits  of  character,  but  it  took  intimate  association  with 
him  to  learn  how  strong  they  were.  His  rugged  manhood  was 
so  softened  and  subdued  with  the  gentle  qualities  of  his  nature 
that  at  first  knowledge  of  him  he  appeared  negative  and  want- 
ing in  ruggedness.  But  he  was  a  man  of  deep  convictions,  and 
he  possessed  in  a  quiet  way  the  power  to  impress  others  with 
those  convictions.  He  was  not  a  man  of  words  or  much  speech, 
rarely,  if  ever,  attempting  to  sway  minds  with  lengthy  talks  or 
set  speeches,  and  yet  he  possessed  the  power  of  presenting  in 
conversation  his  ideas  and  convictions  in  such  clear,  consecutive, 
and  logical  manner  as  to  show  that  his  was  a  rare  and  very 
strong  mind. 

He  despised  the  demagogue  and  hated  shams.  He  believed 
that  political  pledges  should  be  redeemed,  and  that  as  a  public 
servant  he  was  acting  not  alone  for  his  constituents  but  for  his 
country  also.  He  believed  in  parties  and  was  a  party  man,  and 
yet  his  intense  loyalty  to  party  never  for  one  moment  swayed 
him  in  his  friendship  for  members  of  other  parties;  and  so  it 
came  about  that  some  of  his  stanchest  supporters  were  members 
of  other  political  parties.  He  was  most  sincerely  devoted  to 
his  constituents,  and  by  his  constituents  I  mean  all  the  people 


24  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright. 

of  his  district,  for  he  did  not  divide  them  into  classes  in  his 
estimate  of  his  duty  to  them.  He  did  not  perform  one  kind  of 
service  for  the  rich  and  influential  and  another  kind  for  the 
poor  and  humble,  but  all  were  alike  the  objects  of  his  official 
care. 

He  never  practiced  duplicity  and  he  hated  sycophancy. 

He  did  not  regard  his  official  preferment  as  elevating  him 
above  his  neighbors  and  friends,  but  he  looked  upon  it  as  a 
position  which  he  could  honor  by  being  true  to  himself,  his  con- 
stituents, and  his  country.  Hence  duty  was  his  guiding  star, 
and  honor  in  his  estimation  came  alone  through  the  performance 
of  that  duty. 

These  qualities  made  him  conspicuous  among  those  whom  he 
had  known  from  childhood,  made  him  loved  and  trusted  by  his 
neighbors. 

To  these  neighbors  and  friends  his  death  came  as  a  great 
calamity,  bringing  with  it  a  sorrow  as  deep  as  the  love  they 
bore  for  the  honored  dead. 

The  life  of  such  a  man  is  never  lost.  It  is  remembered  and 
copied,  not  because  of  its  brilliancy,  but  because  of  its  goodness. 

Such  a  life  needs  no  commemoration  in  brass  or  marble,  for 
loving  hearts  will  bear  it  on  to  everlasting  remembrance. 

I  learned  to  admire  and  love  Mr.  WRIGHT. 

A  very  close  companionship  for  months  enabled  me  to  observe ' 
his  sterling  qualities,  to  learn  of  his  noble  manhood,  his  unyield- 
ing devotion  to  duty,  his  very  marked  tenderness  as  a  husband, 
and  his  gentleness  which  made  his  presence  so  very  dear.  All 
these  impressed  me  much,  and  now,  when  death  has  come,  my 
sorrow  is  the  deeper  for  having  been  impressed  by  them. 

We  may  not  stop  to  moralize  on  the  future  of  such  a  life,  but 
there  is  something  within  us,  after  all,  which  suggests  that  such 
a  good  and  gentle  life  enters  into  rest  after  death. 


Address  of  Mr.  Northway  of  Ohio,  25 

We  can  not  help  but  be  touched  by  the  idea  suggested  in  the 
lines  upon  the  monument  standing  at  the  grave  of  John  Howard 
Payne: 

Sure  when  thy  gentle  spirit  fled 

To  realms  beyond  the  azure  dome, 
With  arms  outstretched  God's  angels  said, 

"Welcome  to  heaven's  home,  sweet  home." 


26  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B,  Wright. 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  MCCALL, 

Mr.  McCALi,.  Mr.  Speaker,  the  eloquent  words  of  eulogy 
which  have  beeu  spoken  here  upon  our  dead  friend  by  the  repre- 
sentatives of  both  political  parties  and  by  his  colleagues  from 
Massachusetts  and  from  distant  States  leave  nothing  to  be  added, 
and  yet  I  can  not  forbear  to  utter  one  word  expressive  of  the  loss 
which  his  Commonwealth  has  suffered  and  of  the  deep  sense  of 
bereavement  which  must  come  to  all  who  knew  him. 

No  constituency  was  represented  in  this  body  by  a  more  con- 
scientious member  than  ASHLEY  B.  WRIGHT.  He  gave  the 
most  painstaking  attention  to  every  matter  of  public  business 
with  which  he  was  intrusted.  The  work  that  he  did  was  unos- 
tentatiously and  yet  effectively  done.  His  qualities  were  not 
of  a  showy  or  superficial  character.  He  took  none  of  the  time 
of  the  House  in  what  is  called  debate,  and  what  is  sometimes 
unjustly  dignified  by  that  term. 

But  he  possessed  a  fine,  solid  judgment,  which  he  was  able  to 
express  to  his  friends  with  clearness  and  force.  It  was  my  for- 
tune, during  the  period  of  his  service,  to  be  for  a  time  intimately 
associated  with  him,  and  I  can  say  that  every  day  of  that  asso- 
ciation added  to  the  esteem  and  affection  with  which  I  came  to 
regard  him. 

I  came  to  see  that  the  people  of  the  Berkshire  district  had 
shown  great  sense  and  discernment  in  selecting  their  Repre- 
sentative. But  the  end  came  suddenly  and  without  warning, 
at  least  to  us.  I  have  no  doubt  that  a  well-spent  and  blameless 
life  prepared  him  to  receive  the  summons  without  fear.  He  has 


Address  of  Mr.  Me  Call  of  Massachusetts.  27 

been  snatched  from  our  midst,  and  while  we  are  deeply  touched 
at  the  public  and  our  own  personal  loss,  we  shall  warmly  cherish 
the  memory  of  his  high  but  modest  merit,  his  genial  and  kindly 
presence,  and  of  as  tender,  brave,  and  generous  a  heart  as  ever 
beat  in  human  breast. 


28  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright. 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  GILLETT  OF  MASSACHUSETTS, 

Mr.  GILLETT  of  Massachusetts.  Mr.  WRIGHT'S  characteris- 
tics have  been  so  fully  described  and  his  qualities  so  accurately 
analyzed  by  my  predecessors  that  for  me  to  enter  the  usual  field 
of  eulogy  would  be  but  repetition.  He  was  a  man  of  such  mod- 
est habits,  such  even  temperament,  such  self-contained  moderate 
nature  that  he  did  not  challenge  observation  or  description. 

Although  my  city  was  formerly  a  part  of  his  Congressional 
district  and  we  were  always  neighbors,  I  had  never  met  him 
until  we  were  both  candidates  for  Congress  in  1892  in  adjoining 
districts.  I  well  remember  "how  he  then  impressed  me  by  the 
quiet,  imperturbable,  businesslike  way  in  which  he  was  attend- 
ing to  his  campaign. 

His  district  was  very  close  and  doubtful,  he  had  not  been 
prominent  politically,  he  was  not  a  public  speaker,  he  had  no 
very  shining  qualities  to  draw  votes — and  yet  he  was  selected, 
I  might  almost  say  drafted  by  his  party,  to  be  their  candidate 
when  they  were  in  earnest  search  of  their  most  popular  man. 
His  nomination  came  as  the  result  of  no  effort  on  his  part ;  he 
was  no  self-seeker;  it  was  fairly  thrust  upon  him,  and  he 
accepted  the  unsought  responsibility  unflinchingly  and  success- 
fully, and  proved  to  have  that  quality  so  valuable  and  yet  often 
so  difficult  to  analyze,  of  being  a  vote  getter. 

He  had  not  served  the  apprenticeship  in  the  legislature  which 
is  usually  demanded  of  Massachusetts  Congressmen,  and  which 
certainly  is  a  most  useful  schooling,  for  I  doubt  if  there  is  a 
better  forum  of  debate  now  existing  than  our  State  house,  where 
questions  are  discussed  on  their  merits  without  party  strife  or 
party  feeling  or  party  division,  where  arguments  are  made  t:> 


Address  of  Mr.  Gillett  of  Massachusetts.  29 

influence  votes  and  votes  are  gained  by  argument,  and  where  men 
speak  for  immediate  effect  and  not  for  advertisement  or  home  con- 
sumption. Coming  here  without  such  legislative  training,  Mr. 
WRIGHT  was  at  first  most  unobtrusive,  quietly  feeling  his  way 
into  his  new  duties.  Except  with  close  friends,  he  was  always 
rather  grave  and  taciturn  and  reserved,  and  gave  to  strangers 
the  impression  of  a  serious,  reflective  man,  not  given  to  frivolous 
thoughts.  He  reminded  me  somewhat  of  Sydney  Smith's 
remark  to  his  brother: 

You  and  I  have  reversed  the  order  of  nature;  you  have  risen  by  your 
gravity  and  I  have  sunk  by  my  levity. 

I  think  constituents  prefer  that  their  Representatives  should 
err  on  the  side  of  dignity  and  seriousness,  and  that  Mr. 
WRIGHT'S  habitual  public  demeanor  gave  him  strength  and 
popularity.  As  he  grew  more  familiar  with  his  Congressional 
duties,  made  the  acquaintance  of  his  colleagues,  and  doubtless 
found  in  the  friction  of  committee  work  and  discussion  that  his 
modesty  had  underestimated  himself  and  overestimated  his  asso- 
ciates, he  became  notably  freer  and  more  assertive;  and  men 
found  that  the  quiet  man  whom  they  had  perhaps  overlooked 
had  an  intelligence  and  industry  and  sagacity  which  won  him 
first  attention,  then  respect,  and  finally  confidence.  And  with 
each  year  of  his  Congressional  life  his  influence  widened,  and 
a  well-merited  self-confidence  developed,  which  increased  his 
usefulness  and  popularity. 

No  man  can  obtain  a  very  conspicuous  position  in  this  House 
who  is  not  a  facile  speaker;  but  there  is  many  a  member  who 
never  opens  his  lips  except  for  a  necessary  motion,  who,  by 
dint  of  long  experience  and  acquaintance,  wins  a  reputation  for 
solid  judgment  and  safe  leadership  more  helpful  than  the  most 
brilliant  oratory;  and  Mr.  WRIGHT'S  third  term  of  service,  so 
sadly  interrupted,  was  winning  for  him  this  distinction. 


30  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright. 

I  should  leave  a  false  impression  if  I  did  not  suggest  that  the 
gravity  which  marked  his  public  career  was  thrown  aside  in 
social  life,  where  his  amiable,  genial  nature  attracted  and 
delighted  a  large  circle  of  warm  friends  who  mourn  with  us  his 
untimely  loss. 

The  SPEAKER.  As  a  further  mark  of  respect,  and  in  accord- 
ance with  the  directions  of  the  House,  I  declare  the  House  to  be 
adjourned  until  Monday  at  12  oclock  noon. 

And  accordingly  (at  3  o'clock  and  5  minutes  p.  m. )  the 
House  adjourned. 


PROCEEDINGS  IN  THE  SENATE. 

DECEMBER  6,  1897. 

Mr.  HOAR.  I  ask  the  Chair  to  lay  before  the  Senate  the  reso- 
lutions just  received  from  the  House  of  Representatives. 

The  VICE-PRESIDENT.  The  Chair  lays  before  the  Senate  reso- 
lutions from  the  House  of  Representatives,  which  will  be  read. 

The  Secretary  read  the  resolutions,  as  follows: 

Resolved,  That  the  House  has  learned  with  profound  sorrow 
of  the  death  of  the  Hon.  ASHLEY  B.  WRIGHT,  a  member  of  this 
House  from  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  and  of  the  death  of  the 
Hon.  JAMES  Z.  GEORGE,  a  Senator  of  the  United  States  from 
the  State  of  Mississippi. 

Resolved,  That  as  a  further  mark  of  respect  to  the  memory  of 
the  late  Representative  WRIGHT  and  the  late  Senator  GEORGE 
the  House  do  now  adjourn. 

Resolved,  That  the  Clerk  communicate  the  resolutions  to  the 
Senate. 

Mr.  HOAR.  I  present  the  resolutions  which  I  send  to  the  desk, 
for  which  I  ask  immediate  consideration. 

The  VICE-PRESIDENT.  The  resolutions  submitted  by  the  Sen- 
ator from  Massachusetts  will  be  read. 

The  Secretary  read  the  resolutions,  as  follows: 

Resolved,  That  the  Senate  has  heard  with  profound  sorrow  of 
the  death  of  the  Hon.  ASHLEY  B.  WRIGHT,  late  a  member  of 
the  House  of  Representatives  from  the  State  of  Massachusetts. 

Resolved,  That  as  a  further  mark  of  respect  to  the  memory  of 
the  deceased  the  Senate  do  now  adjourn. 

The  resolutions  were  considered  by  unanimous  consent,  and 
unanimously  agreed  to;  and  (at  12  o'clock  and  50  minutes  p.  m.) 
the  Senate  adjourned  until  to-morrow,  Thursday,  December  9, 
1897,  at  12  o'clock  meridian. 


32  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B,  Wright. 

FEBRUARY  18,  1898. 

The  VICE-PRESIDENT.  The  Chair  lays  before  the  Senate  reso- 
lutions of  the  House  of  Representatives,  which  will  be  read. 
The  Secretary  read  the  resolutions,  as  follows: 

IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES, 

January  8 ,  1898 . 

Resolved,  That  the  House  has  heard  with  profound  sorrow  the 
announcement  of  the  death  of  Hon.  ASHLEY  B.  WRIGHT,  late  a 
member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  from  the  State  of  Mas- 
sachusetts. 

Resolved,  That  the  business  of  the  House  be  now  suspended 
that  opportunity  may  be  given  for  fitting  tributes  to  his  memory. 

Resolved,  That  as  an  additional  mark  of  respect  the  House,  at 
the  conclusion  of  these  memorial  proceedings,  do  adjourn. 

Resolved,  That  the  Clerk  communicate  these  resolutions  to  the 
Senate  and  transmit  a  copy  of  the  same  to  the  family  of  the 
deceased. 

Mr.  HOAR.  Mr.  President,  I  ask  for  the  present  consideration 
of  the  resolutions  I  send  to  the  desk. 

The  Secretary  read  the  resolutions,  as  follows: 

Resolved,  That  the  Senate  has  heard  with  profound  sorrow  the 
announcement  of  the  death  of  Hon.  ASHLEY  B.  WRIGHT,  late 
a  Representative  fron  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts. 

Resolved,  That  the  business  of  the  Senate  be  now  suspended 
in  order  that  fitting  tribute  may  be  paid  to  his  memory. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  transmitted  by 
the  Secretary  of  the  Senate  to  the  family  of  the  deceased,  and 
that  as  a  further  mark  of  respect  the  Senate  will,  at  the  conclu- 
sion of  these  ceremonies,  stand  adjourned. 

The  VICE-PRESIDENT.  The  question  is  on  agreeing  to  the 
resolutions  submitted  by  the  Senator  from  Massachusetts. 


Address  of  Mr.  Hoar  of  Massachusetts.  33 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  HOAR. 

Mr.  HOAR.  Mr.  President,  Berkshire  County,  Mass.,  with  the 
regions  lying  eastward  toward  the  Connecticut  River,  and  north- 
ward and  southward  in  southern  Vermont  and  northern  Con- 
necticut, seems  to  the  people  who  dwell  in  it  the  most  beautiful 
spot  on  earth.  Certainly  to  Massachusetts 's  eyes  no  Arcadian 
landscape,  no  Italian  skies,  present  so  fair  a  vision.  The  verses 
in  which  Virgil  described  his  beloved  Italy,  as  rendered  in 
exquisite  English  verse  by  a  genius  akin  to  his  own,  are  appli- 
cable here  without  exaggeration: 

On  many  a  hill  the  happy  homestead  stands; 
The  living  lakes  through  many  a  vale  expands; 
Cool  glens  are  there,  and  shadowy  caves  divine, 
Deep  sleep,  and  far-off  voices  of  the  kine. 
One  reverence  still  the  untainted  race  inspires; 
Their  country  first,  and  after  her  their  sires. 

This  region  owes  much  to  nature.  It  owes  much  also  to  his- 
toric association  and  the  hand  of  man.  There  can  be  no  scenery 
perfectly  beautiful  without  historic  association,  and  without  the 
charm  which  comes  from  the  habitations  of  men.  That  com- 
munity is  specially  fortunate  which  can  look  upon  beautiful 
and  noble  scenery  whose  features  it  can  take  into  its  own  nature, 
and  to  whose  features  its  own  nature  has  contributed.  The 
landscape  of  Berkshire  County  is  almost  as  much  the  product  of 
the  genius  of  her  people  as  her  towns  and  cities  themselves. 
We  do  not  often  reflect  how  large  a  part  of  the  effect  of  any 
landscape  comes  from  what  is  put  into  it  by  the  hand  of  civil- 
ized man.  .Think  of  Berkshire  County  as  it  came,  beautiful 
but  still  a  desert,  from  the  hand  of  the  Creator,  even  with  its 

'  .-CIB 

June  glory  on,  or  adorned  with  the  richest  tints  of  autumn;  and 
H.  Doc.  464 3 


34  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright. 

then  think  of  the  same  scene,  its  valleys  and  hillsides  covered 
with  tilled  fields  and  waving  corn  and  herds  of  beautifnl  cattle 
and  the  spires  of  churches  and  the  smoke  from  human  dwellings 
rising  to  the  sky;  the  lowing  of  kine  and  the  sound  of  church 
bells,  as  George  Herbert  says — 

Heard  beyond  the  stars — 

and  the  hum  of  factories  and  the  music  of  children's  voices.  In 
this  community  there  can  be  found  no  native  born  who  can  not 
read  and  write.  Here  the  poorest  man  lives  in  comfort,  and 
the  wealthiest  feels  a  kindly  concern  for  his  humblest  neighbor. 
The  valleys  are  fertile  and  luxurious  and  adorned  by  countless 
sparkling  brooks  and  by  the  beautiful  streams  of  the  Hoosac 
and  Housatonic.  The  plains  and  the  sloping  hillsides  are 
adorned  with  farmhouses  and  herds  of  beautiful  cattle.  On  the 
north  and  south  Grey  lock  and  Taconic  stand  sentinels,  as  they 
have  stood  from  the  beginning  of  time,  and  shall  stand  till 
time  shall  be  no  more. 

The  traditions  of  the  early  settlements,  of  Indian  wars,  of 
contests  with  wild  beast  and  savage,  and  the  history  of  later 
days  give  to  each  town  and  village  its  own  historic  and  poetic 
associations.  From  these  valleys  and  mountain  sides  in  the 
days  of  the  Revolution  the  farmers  hastened  to  join  Washing- 
ton at  Cambridge  and  Stark  at  Bennington;  and  again  their 
children  from  the  same  farmhouses  hastened  to  give  their  lives 
for  their  country  in  the  war  for  the  Union.  Here,  in  the  early 
times,  dwelt  Jonathan  Edwards,  foremost  metaphysician  of 
America,  among  his  Indian  congregation.  Here  dwelt  Sedg- 
wick,  friend  and  counselor  of  Washington,  the  second  Speaker 
of  the  National  House  of  Representatives.  Here,  in  later  days, 
Mark  Hopkins,  most  famous  of  American  teachers,  gathered 
about  him  the  pupils  whom  he  was  to  send  out  to  carry  the 


Address  of  Mr.  Hoar  of  Massachusetts.  35 

torch  of  good  learning  and  of  pure  patriotism  throughout  the 
whole  country. 

The  dwellers  in  Berkshire  Count}7  have  from  the  beginning 
been  worthy  of  this  goodly  heritage.  Their  mountains  become 
them,  and  they  become  their  mountains.  They  have  ever  been 
a  patriotic,  religious  people,  lovers  of  country,  lovers  of  home, 
of  simple  manners,  of  strong  sense,  open  hearted,  generous,  hos- 
pitable, brave. 

Among  this  people  Mr.  WRIGHT  was  born;  among  them  he 
spent  his  life.  It  would  be  hard  to  find  another  man  whom 
they  knew  more  thoroughly  as  it  would  be  hard  to  find  another 
more  perfect  example  of  their  best  qualities.  His  education 
was  in  the  country  schoolhouse.  His  father  was  an  old  anti- 
slavery  man,  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Free  Soil  party.  He 
had  drawn  in  the  love  of  liberty  and  of  justice  with  his  mother's 
milk.  His  life  from  his  youth  up  was  crowded  with  important 
public  service  which  tested  his  intellectual  and  moral  quality. 

When  he  was  21  years  old  he  was  made  deputy  collector  of 
internal  revenue.  He  held  that  office  from  1861  to  1865,  when 
the  collections  were  very  large  and  brought  the  officer  into  inti- 
mate relations  with  the  business  men  of  the  district.  He  was 
also  soon  summoned  by  his  fellow-citizens  to  their  service  in 
the  various  offices  of  the  wealthy  and  rapidly  growing  town, 
now  the  city,  of  North  Adams.  In  1884  he  was  chosen  county 
commissioner,  a  station  of  great  dignity  and  responsibility, 
demanding  integrity  and  business  capacity  of  a  high  order. 
This  board  has  control  of  county  expenditure  and  administra- 
tion, besides  a  very  extensive  miscellaneous  jurisdiction.  Chief 
Justice  Shaw  used  to  say  that  under  the  Constitution  all  powers 
not  bestowed*on  the  General  Government  were  reserved  to  the 
county  commissioners.  Soon  after  his  term  of  three  years' 


36  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright. 

service  ended,  he  was  chosen,  in  1890,  member  of  the  executive 
council  of  the  Commonwealth,  and  reelected  in  1891.  In  1892 
he  was  chosen  Representative  in  Congress  and  reelected  in 
1894  and  1896. 

Few  members  of  that  great  assembly  have  ever  gained  a 
stronger  hold  on  the  affection  and  the  esteem  of  their  associates. 
He  seldom  spoke  in  the  debates.  But  he  was  constant  and 
industrious  in  committee  service,  where,  more  and  more,  as  the 
vast  concerns  of  the  Republic  grow  in  magnitude  and  variety, 
the  powers  of  legislation  are  wielded.  He  was  universally 
esteemed  as  a  man  of  sound  judgment,  absolute  integrity,  and 
unfailing  courtesy.  He  was  a  just  man.  He  was  a  faithful 
man.  His  word  was  as  steadfast  as  Greylock  on  its  base.  He 
was  a  modest  man.  His  life  was  simple  and  frugal.  He  was 
content  with  an  honorable  poverty.  He  was  an  independent 
man.  He  never  flinched  from  disagreeable  duties.  He  per- 
formed scrupulously  the  duties  which  were  most  obscure.  He 
had  a  sweet  and  kindly  nature.  He  was  growing  constantly  in 
the  esteem  of  the  House  and  of  his  constituents.  The  people 
of  Massachusetts  were  looking  forward  for  him  to  a  long  career 
of  honor  and  usefulness. 

On  Saturday,  August  14,  1897,  m  the  dusk  of  the  early  even- 
ing, the  beautiful  city  \vas  startled  by  the  news  that  Mr.  WRIGHT 
had  fallen  just  as  he  entered  his  house  and  died  instantly,  with- 
out a  shock  and  without  pain.  Surely  for  him  there  could  have 
been  no  happier  parting.  The  prayer  of  the  liturgy  to  be  deliv- 
ered from  sudden  death  is  a  prayer  for  the  survivors  rather  than 
for  the  man  who  dies. 

To  the  friends  to  whom  his  presence  was  a  benediction,  to  the 
neighbors  to  whom  the  hospitality  of  that  simple  dwelling  was 
a  perpetual  pleasure,  to  the  constituency  who  so  delighted  to 
honor  him,  to  the  city  in  which  he  was  a  pillar  and  staff  and 


Address  of  Mr.  Hoar  of  Massachusetts.  37 

stay,  to  her  of  whose  heart  he  was  the  larger  part,  the  stroke 
seems  as  cruel  as  it  was  sudden.  But  to  him  there  is  nothing  to 
be  deplored.  He  died  by  his  own  fireside.  ' '  I  shall  die  in  my 
nest,"  saith  the  wise  man.  His  life  ended  in  the  prime  and 
vigor  of  perfect  manhood.  He  was  spared  old  age.  The  joy  of 
youth  had  crowned  him.  He  drank  of  the  cup  of  the  water  of 
life  while  it  was  sweet  and  clear,  and  was  not  left  to  drink  it  to 
the  dregs.  For  him  was  the  promise  ' '  the  pure  in  heart  shall 
see  God." 

Nothing  is  here  for  tears,  nothing  to  wail 
Or  knock  the  breast,  no  weakness,  no  contempt, 
Dispraise,  or  blame — nothing  but  well  and  fair, 
And  what  may  quiet  us  in  a  death  so  noble. 

He  was  fortunate  in  life.  He  was  fortunate  also  in  death. 
He  leaves  to  his  city,  to  his  constituency,  to  the  great  assembly 
of  which  he  was  a  member,  a  fragrant  and  precious  memory. 


38  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright. 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  MORGAN. 

Mr.  MORGAN.  Mr.  President,  I  had  no  personal  acquaintance 
with  Mr.  WRIGHT;  yet  I  know  him  in  the  light  of  his  reputa- 
tion. This  test  of  character  is  rarely  at  fault  as  to  an}-  man, 
because  it  is  a  comparative  declaration  from  the  whole  tenor  of 
a  human  life  rather  than  an  inference  drawn  from  some  con- 
spicuous act  in  the  course  of  his  career. 

As  a  high  character  for  integrity  is  the  best  possession  that 
can  be  enjoyed  in  life,  so  it  is  the  best  legacy  a  man  can  bequeath 
to  his  family,  his  friends,  and  his  country. 

I  will  speak  of  the  value  of  this  legacy  left  to  this  country 
rather  than  of  the  winning  personality  of  Mr.  WRIGHT.  A 
stranger  who  is  called  to  give  expression  to  his  views  of  the 
character  of  one  who  has  passed  through  this  life  and  is  now  in 
the  inheritance  of  a  life  that  will  never  end  has  a  duty  to  perform 
in  which  he  can  have  no  other  guide  than  the  estimate  that  is 
placed  upon  the  work  of  his  life  by  those  \vho  were  his  associ- 
ates and  colaborers. 

Yet  I  find  this  a  pleasing  duty,  because  I  am  to  speak  of  a 
life  well  spent  in  the  honorable  labors,  of  a  life  that  was  devoted 
to  the  benefit  of  his  fellow-men  in  all  the  public  and  private 
demands  of  duty. 

I  form  my  opinions  of  Mr.  WRIGHT  upon  the  facts  contained 
in  the  record  of  his  life,  as  to  which  all  his  acquaintances  agree; 
and  I  am  glad  to  say  that  they  justify  that  highest  eulogium 
that  any  man  can  deserve:  That  he  was  an  honest,  God-fearing, 
and  God-loving  man. 

It  would  be  at  least  a  pardonable  trangression,  if  the  personal 
affections  that  incline  us  to  a  charitable  view  of  the  lives  of 


Address  of  Mr.  Morgan  oj  Alabama.  39 

those  who  are  our  friends  should  lead  us  into  expressions  as  to 
their  virtues  that  are  too  brightly  colored;  and  it  would  be 
painful,  perhaps,  to  meet  a  man  in  the  great  beyond  who  could 
say  to  us,  ' '  You  overstated  my  virtues  and  forgot  to  mention 
my  failings  when  you  stood  in  the  Senate  and  eulogized  my 
life." 

That  will  never  occur,  if  the  eulogy  is  sincere,  whether  or 
not  it  is  fully  deserved. 

There  is  a  loveliness  in  the  tribute  of  praise  for  the  dead  tffat 
is  holy  and  inspiring,  because  it  is  the  truest  expression  of 
affection  to  love  and  honor  the  dead  and  to  follow  them  in  our 
thoughts  to  the  unknown  world,  where  they  reside,  with  tear- 
ful remembrance  of  our  bereavement  at  their  loss  to  us,  and 
with  wishes  and  prayers  for  their  happiness.  We  are  seldom 
so  deeply  concerned  for  them  when  they  are  living.  In  the 
purest  affection  for  the  living  there  are  still  some  jealousies 
that  mar  the  most  devout  love. 

A  stranger  to  Mr.  WRIGHT,  who  never  shared  in  the  bene- 
fits or  pleasures  of  his  personal  friendship,  and  is  yet  earnestly 
moved  by  his  convictions  to  speak  strongly  in  his  praise,  can 
safely  rely  upon  the  fact  that  he  was  an  honest  man  to  justify 
the  strongest  expression  of  his  admiration. 

Not  that  honesty  of  mind,  heart,  and  purpose  is  a  rare  vir- 
tue, to  be  admired  for  its  scarcity.  It  is  found  in  millions  of 
bosoms,  and,  like  corn  and  wine  and  gold  and  silver,  it  is  loved 
for  its  abundance  and  its  purity.  Whatever  life  has,  at  its 
close,  left  a  record  of  high  moral  integrity  is  grounded  in  the 
Christian  creed,  a  life  that  meets  the  requirements  of  the  Divine 
Creator,  whatever  may  have  been  its  obscurity. 

The  height  and  depth  and  breadth  or  the  beauty  and  value  of 
such  a  life  can  not  be  exaggerated  by  praise,  because  it  is  the 
full  measure  of  the  purpose  of  God  in  the  creation  of  the  soul 


4O  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright. 

and  body  of  man.  A  world  filled  with  men  who  are  simply  and 
truly  honest  would  not  have  needed  redemption,  if  that  sublime 
condition  could  be  otherwise  accomplished.  But,  alas,  that 
could  not  be! 

We  are  informed  that  Mr.  WRIGHT  was  one  of  the  vast  num- 
ber who  realized  that  an  honest  man,  in  the  sight  of  God,  is  not 
a  mere  moral  structure  built  up  by  human  care,  but  that  he  is 
all  that  such  care  can  create,  and  yet  is  still  imperfect  until  he 
has  been  touched  with  the  fire  of  divine  inspiration  and  has  been 
crowned  by  his  Creator  for  a  perfect  and  eternal  life.  Now, 
what  tongue  or  pen  can  bestow  honors  that  are  too  great  upon 
such  a  man,  whose  life  and  its  labors  have  made  him  worthy  to 
resume  the  pure  image  of  God  in  which  he  was  created  ? 

His  work  in  Congress,  it  is  said  by  those  who  were  best 
acquainted  with  Mr.  WRIGHT,  was  in  keeping  with  this  high 
character,  and  a  profound  sense  of  duty  was  the  guide  and 
motive  of  all  his  public  conduct.  He  had  a  field  of  usefulness 
that  was  assigned  to  him  by  an  excellent  constituency  because 
of  his  fidelity  in  smaller  matters,  and  he  worked  diligently  in 
the  great  forum  of  the  House  of  Representatives  for  nearly  six 
years.  He  used  all  his  powers  in  that  service  with  faithful, 
earnest  zeal,  not  listening  to  catch  the  applause  of  a  nation,  and 
not  alarmed  if  he  was  antagonized  even  with  the  harsh  criticisms 
of  those  with  whom  he  disagreed.  He  had  the  courage  of 
integrity,  which  is,  after  all,  the  highest  trait  of  a  true  manhood. 

He  was  a  representative  man  in  a  government  that  is  in- 
tended to  represent  the  will  of  the  people  in  its  laws  and  poli- 
cies. He  did  not  attempt  to  set  himself  above  his  people  in 
autocratic  control  of  their  affairs;  nor  did  he  humiliate  them 
and  himself  by  resorting  to  the  low  arts  of  the  demagogue  in 
order  that  he  might  deceive  them  into  becoming  his  personal 
followers.  He  was  fortunate  in  his  constituency,  and  could 


Address  of  Mr.  Morgan  of  Alabama.  41 

well  have  gratified  his  greatest  pride  or  ambition  in  being, 
what  he  was,  their  true  representative. 

In  the  Houses  of  Congress  there  is  a  great  variety  of  repre- 
sentatives, corresponding  in  a  marked  degree  with  the  differ- 
ences that  exist  among  the  people  in  the  States  and  districts  in 
their  social,  political,  and  industrial  matters.  In  the  aggre- 
gate, they  voice  the  sentiments  of  75,000,000  of  free  people, 
and  their  voice  is  like  the  voice  of  the  multitudinous  seas,  the 
grand  harmony  of  which  is  eloquent  of  an  infinitude  of  power, 
when  it  is  united  in  a  common  expression  of  the  will  of  the 
people. 

In  a  free  government  the  truest  representative  of  the  will  of 
the  people  is  the  best  public  servant.  He  is  sheltered  against 
the  violent  excesses  of  popular  passion  by  the  limitations  of  the 
organic  law;  but  within  those  limits  his  duty  is  to  obey  the 
will  of  the  people  he  represents,  otherwise  his  constituents 
become  his  servants.  In  these  controversies  the  struggles  are 
often  very  severe. 

Mr.  WRIGHT  had  little  of  this  sort  of  embarrassment  in  his 
political  career.  He  represented  a  settled  community  who  are 
largely  homogeneous.  An  enlightened  political  constituency, 
not  radically  opposed  to  their  antagonists  on  some  of  the  great 
party  issues,  invited  him  to  become  their  Representative  in  Con- 
gress, and  he  consented  to  devote  himself  to  their  service.  -That 
community,  like  this  Senate,  was  divided  into  political  party 
organizations  upon  great  leading  measures  of  public  policy  and 
the  principles  of  government;  yet,  in  the  main  and  amongst  the 
honest  men,  they  were  all  endeavoring,  as  we  are,  to  promote 
the  welfare  of  a  common  country. 

I  was  antagonized  to  Mr.  WRIGHT  on  almost  all  of  these 
political  issues.  Yet,  recognizing  the  fact  that  he  represented  his 
constituency,  as  I  feel  that  I  represent  mine,  I  honor  him  in  his 


42  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright. 

grave  for  his  fidelity  to  his  people.  After  all,  in  every  patriotic 
sense,  we  are  one  people.  The  sun  that  glorifies  the  beautiful 
Berkshire  Hills  of  Massachusetts  shines  with  no  less  splendor  on 
the  Appalachian  range  in  Alabama,  and  the  breezes  from  the 
Atlantic  have  played  together  on  the  same  seas  before  they  toyed 
with  the  plumes  of  the  Alabama  pines  and  tossed  the  tops  of  the 
great  elms  in  Berkshire. 

These  are  nature's  blessings  on  a  common  people.  The  polit- 
ical blessing  of  a  starry  banner  to  wave  in  harmony  above  a 
nation  of  true  Americans  still  more  than  nature's  ties  is  a  bond 
that  is  ordained,  in  the  providence  of  God,  to  unite  our  strength 
for  the  good  of  mankind. 

Mr.  WRIGHT  has  faithfully  served  his  day  and  generation  as 
an  honest  American  in  this  great  work,  and  has  left  us  an 
example  that  is  worthy  of  our  emulation.  Let  us  follow  it. 


Address  of  Mr,  Hawley  of  Connecticut.  43 

ADDRESS  OF-  MR.  HAWLEY. 

Mr.  HAWLEY.  Mr.  President,  I  knew  very  little  indeed  about 
Mr.  WRIGHT  until  I  began  to  read  the  generous  notices  of  him 
in  another  place.  I  feel  as  if  I  knew  him  now.  It  is  because, 
perhaps,  I  know  many  men  of  the  same  general  character. 
With  no  special  distinguishing  qualities  to  mark  him  a  great 
man,  he  had  apparently  a  most  perfect  combination  of  all  excel- 
lent elements. 

Mr.  WRIGHT  began  when  he  was  22  or  23  years  of  age  to 
receive  evidence  of  the  trust  and  respect  of  his  fellow-citizens. 
For  thirty-five  years  he  continued  with  scarcely  a  break  in 
public  service  of  some  description  or  other.  He  was  a  collector 
of  internal  revenue;  he  was  county  commissioner;  he  was  man- 
ager of  a  national  bank  and  director  of  a  savings  bank.  He 
was  sent  to  the  great  council  of  Massachusetts,  which  is  the 
adviser  of  the  governor.  He  was  sent  to  Congress,  and  he  was 
in  his  seventh  year  here  when  he  was  suddenly  taken  away. 

In  his  family  life  they  tell  us  he  was  the  very  idol  of  his 
household.  As  a  friend  and  neighbor,  he  was  cheerful  and 
happy,  generous  and  just.  His  judgment  was  sound,  his 
integrity  unquestioned,  sturdy  as  an  oak.  He  was  indeed  an 
unusual  man. 

I  am  reminded  of  what  the  great  poet  Tennyson  says  in 
speaking  of  Wellington.  He  was — 

Rich  in  saving  common  sense. 

And  again,  as  Tennyson  said,  he — 

Stood  four-square  to  all  the  winds  that  blew. 

Faithful,  true,  just,  honest,  patriotic,  finely  balanced. 

As  another  poet  said: 

Since  he  had 

The  genius  to  be  loved,  why,  let  him  have 
The  justice  to  be  honored  in  his  grave. 


44  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright, 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  LODGE. 

Mr.  LODGE.  We  are  not  called  upon  to-day,  Mr.  President, 
to  commemorate  the  memory  of  a  man  whose  days  were  filled 
with  notoriety,  or  of  one  who,  through  brilliant  oratory  or 
aggressive  success,  held  a  large  place  in  the  public  view.  ASH- 
LEY BASCOM  WRIGHT  was  a  plain  man  and  a  silent  man,  of 
that  type  of  silent  man  which  has  been  so  much  eulogized  by 
Thomas  Carlyle.  He  was  rich  in  what  are  called,  or  miscalled, 
the  ordinary  virtues,  for  he  had  that  unswerving  honest}7  in 
purpose  and  action,  that  judicial  clear-sightedness  in  dealing 
writh  all  questions,  that  gentleness  of  heart,  and  that  human 
kindness  which  mankind  in  a  fine  and  fragile  optimism  have 
agreed  to  designate  as  the  common  virtues  of  humanity. 

Mr.  WRIGHT  was  a  man  of  the  people,  and  of  the  best  peo- 
ple of  Massachusetts,  for  he  came  of  a  stock  long  rooted  in  the 
soil,  and  his  ancestors,  notably  his  father,  had  been  well  known 
for  elevated  citizenship,  efficacy  in  public  and  private  affairs, 
and  unswerving  patriotism.  His  father,  who  had  been  an  early 
Free-Soiler  and  was  among  the  very  first  Republicans  in  Massa- 
chusetts, was  a  man  who,  through  all  his  life,  commanded  the 
respect  of  the  entire  community  in  which  he  lived,  and  his 
mother,  sprung  from  the  same  New  England  stock,  was  an 
admirable  woman  in  every  way. 

Mr.  WRIGHT  was  born  in  Hinsdale,  Mass.,  in  the  country  of 
the  Berkshire  Hills,  on  May  25,  1841.  There,  amid  the  nat- 
ural beauty  of  that  part  of  Massachusetts,  he  was  brought  up. 
He  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
town  and  at  Lincoln  Academy.  At  the  expiration  of  his  course 


Address  of  Mr.  Lodge  of  Massachusetts.  45 

in  this  latter  institution  he  entered  a  mercantile  house  in  Hins- 
dale,  and  there  he  grew  into  a  practical  man  of  business  and 
developed  that  sanity  and  clearness  of  judgment  and  that  exec- 
utive capacity  in  affairs  which  were  of  so  much  service  to  him 
in  later  life.  His  entire  business  career  was  one  of  honesty, 
intelligence,  and  thoroughness,  and  the  same  might  truly  be 
said  of  his  public  service  as  well. 

At  the  time  of  his  death,  although  actively  engaged  in  his 
work  as  a  member  of  Congress,  he  remained  a  director  of  the 
Adams  National  Bank  of  North  Adams  and  a  member  of  the 
board  of  investment  of  the  North  Adams  Savings  Bank,  and  to 
these  institutions  his  services  were  always  conscientious  and 
valuable. 

In  the  year  1862  Mr.  WRIGHT  was  called  to  North  Adams, 
Mass. ,  to  accept  a  position  as  chief  deputy  in  the  internal-reve- 
nue office,  and  from  that  time  forward  that  active  and  growing 
city  was  the  place  with  which  he  was  most  thoroughly  identified. 
Although  unflagging  and  admirable  in  the  various  business 
enterprises  with  which  he  was  allied — for  Mr.  WRIGHT  was 
essentially  a  trained,  practical,  and  successful  business  man — 
he  nevertheless  fully  realized  and  adequately  fulfilled  the  duties 
and  responsibilities  of  citizenship,  and  was  for  thirty-five  years 
almost  constantly  serving  the  State  in  some  branch  of  the  public 
service. 

The  same  qualities  which  had  enabled  him  to  proceed  in  busi- 
ness with  so  much  judgment  and  success,  when  brought  to  bear 
upon  the  duties  of  public  office,  rendered  the  discharge  of  his 
functions  so  able  and  intelligent  that  he  was  constantly  called 
by  his  fellow-citizens  from  one  position  to  another.  I  have 
said  that  Mr.  WRIGHT  was  of  New  England  stock.  New  Eng- 
land people  are  essentially  a  sensible  and  honest  race,  and  Mr. 
WRIGHT  possessed  those  qualities  which  by  association  and 


46  Life  and  Character  of  Ashley  B.  Wright. 

inheritance  lie  had  every  right  to.  Careful  attention  to  detail, 
absolute  honesty,  sound  and  decisive  judgment,  and  especially 
common  sense  were  among  his  best  attributes,  and  the  various 
offices  he  rilled  with  so  much  credit  were  benefited  by  his 
presence. 

In  1884  he  was  elected  county  commissioner,  and  for  three 
years  he  discharged  the  duties  of  this  post.  In  1888  he  became 
a  member  of  the  executive  council  of  his  native  State,  and  in 
1889  he  was  reelected  to  that  position.  In  1892  he  was  elected 
from  the  First  Massachusetts  district  a  member  of  the  House  of 
Representatives  of  the  Fifty-third  Congress,  and  was  reelected 
to  the  Fifty-fourth  and  Fifty-fifth  Congresses.  It  was  before 
the  expiration  of  his  third  term  that  he  died  of  an  apoplectic 
shock  on  August  14,  1897. 

The  eloquent  testimony  of  those  gentlemen  who  recently  spoke 
of  him  in  the  House  of  Representatives  shows  how  valuable  a 
member  of  that  bod}-  Mr.  WRIGHT  was.  He  was  not  a  debater, 
nor  did  he  seek  distinction  in  the  more  brilliant  ways  of  political 
life,  but  his  participation  in  the  affairs  of  the  House  was  active, 
intelligent,  and  effective,  and  the  many  r,trong  qualities  which 
he  possessed  made  him  an  extremely  useful  member.  How 
thoroughly  his  value  was  appreciated  by  his  constituents,  how 
deeply  his  untiring  kindness  to  all  men,  and  his  unceasing  inter- 
est in  the  needs  and  wants  of  his  district  were  felt  by  the  people 
he  represented  requires  no  other  testimony  than  his  reelection 
twice  to  Congress. 

Mr.  WRIGHT  was  a  stanch  Republican,  both  by  personal  con- 
victions and  by  inheritance;  but  his  mature  judgment  was  never 
warped  by  party  hatred,  and  his  cool-headedness  was  never  dis- 
turbed by  the  strife  of  faction.  As  a  practical  politician  he  was 
able  and  energetic,  for  his  successes  were  by  no  means  always 
easy,  and  under  a  gentle  though  taciturn  manner  he  concealed  a 


Address  of  Mr,  Lodge  of  Massachusetts.  47 

calm  courage  and  an  untiring  energy.  His  politics  were  of  the 
best  kind,  for  they  were  always  clean,  manly,  and  right-minded, 
and  he  never  sought  to  succeed  by  personal  abuse  of  his  oppo- 
nent or  by  underhand  methods.  In  the  consideration  of  national 
affairs  he  was  sound  and  fair. 

It  is  owing  to  such  men  as  ASHLEY  B.  WRIGHT — able,  intel- 
ligent, honest,  energetic,  and  successful  in  private  affairs  as  well 
as  in  public  office,  loved  and  respected  both  privately  and  pub- 
licly— that  this  country  has  developed  from  the  small  beginnings 
of  Plymouth  and  Jamestown  into  a  vast,  opulent,  and  power- 
ful nation,  whose  territory  extends  to-day,  populous  and  thriv- 
ing, from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.  In  such  a  life  of 
unostentatious  usefulness,  in  which  public  spirit  was  never  lost 
in  the  engrossing  cares  of  private  gain  and  personal  advance- 
ment, there  is  a  real  and  valuable  lesson.  We  may  learn  from 
it  the  dut}r  which  American  citizenship  imposes  and  see  the 
rewards  which  the  quiet  performance  of  that  duty  is  sure  to 
bring.  To  those  nearest  to  him,  to  whom  his  sudden  death  in 
the  prime  of  life  and  in  the  fullness  of  activity  came  the  heavy 
stroke  of  personal  sorrow,  it  is  not  possible  to  offer  consolation 
here,  but  in  the  passage  of  time  they  too  may  feel  that  in  the 
words  of  praise  spoken  by  those  wrho  knew  him  in  the  discharge 
of  his  public  duties  there  is  proof  that  he  was  rightly  valued 
and  appreciated,  and  that  his  useful  and  honorable  life  was 
not  lived  in  vain. 

The  VICE-PRESIDENT.  The  question  is  on  the  adoption  of 
the  resolutions  offered  by  the  Senator  from  Massachusetts  [Mr. 
Hoar] . 

The  resolutions  were  unanimously  agreed  to;  and  (at  3  o'clock 
and  42  minutes  p.  m. )  the  Senate  adjourned  until  Monday,  Feb- 
ruary 21,  1898,  at  12  o'clock  meridian. 


LIBRARY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  BEFORE  CLOSING  TIME 
ON  LAST  DATE  STAMPED  BELOW 


LD  62A-50m-2,'64 
(E3494slO)9412A 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


